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Relay receptacle shorting plug

Relay receptacle shorting plug description/claims

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of electronic test equipment. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a system and method for testing relays and relay circuits in a vehicle with a relay receptacle shorting plug.

Automotive vehicles (e.g., cars and trucks) are increasingly relying on more electronics to support advances in features and performance. To support these advances, the electronic circuitry in automotive vehicles is also becoming increasingly complex. Electro-mechanical relays are a commonly used control device in vehicle electronic circuits. Relays allow a relatively low-power control circuit to turn on a relatively high-power load. A typical relay application involves a switch-activated device that uses a relatively high amount of current. When using a relay, a high current pathway may be present from the power supply to the relay and from the relay to the device.

Automotive devices that are commonly controlled with a relay include, but are not limited to, an air conditioning compressor clutch, a blower or fan, an electronic brake control, a headlight, a horn, an ignition warning, a power window, a defogger, an air-injection pump, a starter, an indicator lamp, a theft deterrent, a turn signal, an instrument cluster, a turn signal, a trunk release, a power locks, a power sunroof, a power tailgate, a fuel fill door, a power antenna, a convertible top, a heated seat, and a turbo-charger boost.

In a typical relay application, a relay may close in response to activation of a switch to supply power to the device. Like fuses, relays are typically replaceable and are packaged in a common area. Also, because of their common use, vehicle manufacturers usually standardize relay configurations so that various applications may use the same relay configuration.

A vehicle's electrical system may use similarly configured relays to control power for many different devices. Thus, many relay designs have been standardized by relay manufacturers and relay users. These standard relays typically have a unique terminal configuration that mates to a matching standard relay receptacle to achieve a one-to-one correspondence between relay type and corresponding receptacle type. A vehicle power distribution box usually includes plural relay receptacles, and possibly fuse receptacles.

The relay receptacles may be difficult to access. For instance, the relay receptacles may be tightly spaced with respect to each other, and/or may be near other vehicle components that block direct access to the relay receptacles by a hand of a technician.

Troubleshooting electrical problems within a vehicle also continues to become more complex. When a device that is controlled by a relay is not functioning properly, there are many potential sources of the problem within the circuitry involved. To diagnose the problem, it is often helpful to narrow the number of potential problem sources. For relay applications, it may be desirable to determine whether the problem is on the control side or the power side of the circuitry involved in controlling and powering the device in question.

In addition to automotive applications, relay-controlled circuits are common in other applications, such as heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), marine, small engine, agricultural, etc.

According to one aspect of the disclosure, a relay receptacle shorting plug includes a base having a plurality of terminals projecting from a first end of the base and the terminals having a physical arrangement to mate with contacts of a relay receptacle, wherein the arrangement of the terminals allows for the relay receptacle shorting plug to be matably inserted into the relay receptacle, and the terminals include first and second power terminals and at least one control terminal; a handle extending from a second end of the plug base that provides an elongated structure to facilitate insertion and removal of the relay receptacle shorting plug with respect to the relay receptacle; and a conductor forming part of a closed conductive pathway between the first and second power terminals so that the relay receptacle shorting plug provides a current pathway between the first and second power contacts of the relay receptacle.

According to an embodiment of the relay receptacle shorting plug, the handle includes the conductor.

According to an embodiment of the relay receptacle shorting plug, the closed conductive pathway includes a fuse.

According to an embodiment of the relay receptacle shorting plug, the fuse is removably retained by a fuse holder.

According to an embodiment of the relay receptacle shorting plug, the fuse holder further includes a cover.

According to an embodiment of the relay receptacle shorting plug, the closed conductive pathway includes a first conductor that electrically couples a first terminal of the fuse holder to one of the power terminals and a second conductor that electrically couples a second terminal of the fuse holder to the other of the power terminals.

According to an embodiment, the relay receptacle shorting plug further includes a sleeve disposed around the conductors between the base and the fuse holder.

According to an embodiment, the relay receptacle shorting plug further includes adhesive inside the sleeve to bond the sleeve to at least one of the base, the fuse holder, or the conductors.

According to an embodiment of the relay receptacle shorting plug, the sleeve is made from a shrink tubing material and is shrunk around the conductors.

According to an embodiment of the relay receptacle shorting plug, the sleeve is shrunk around at least one of a hub of the base or a hub of the fuse holder.

According to an embodiment of the relay receptacle shorting plug, the at least one control terminal terminates in an open circuit in the relay receptacle shorting plug.

According to an embodiment of the relay receptacle shorting plug, the relay receptacle is one of an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or vehicle manufacturer standard relay receptacle.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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